Fierce Battle

South First District

Tenth Division Headquarters

By the time the pillar of blue flame rose, Wang Tuchuan Yuxuji was already standing on the roof.

The Tenth Division barracks were located in the South First District of Rukongai, one of the places closest to the Seireitei.

The streets here were orderly, the Reishi density stable, and there was usually almost no Hollow harassment. Wang Tuchuan had chosen this place for the headquarters not because it was peaceful, but because it could respond to a summons from the Seireitei as quickly as possible.

He had waited a long time for this day.

After the Quincy extermination order was issued, Wang Tuchuan had led his team beyond the East Eightieth District for a month-long purge. They had killed quite a few Quincy, but he knew that had only been the appetizer. The true war had yet to begin.

Now it had begun.

The instant the Holy Soldiers emerged from the shadows, Wang Tuchuan's hand was already on his sword hilt.

"Eyes forward! Owl!"

Shikai.

The blade did not change, but Wang Tuchuan's body did.

His Reiatsu condensed into a thin membrane that covered his entire body. His muscles tightened, his nerves surged with excitement, and his senses were amplified to their limit.

Owl's ability granted tremendous charging power and enhanced slashing attacks. In Shikai, his Shunpo speed increased severalfold, and every slash carried an explosive Reiatsu boost.

He leaped from the roof.

With the first slash, a Holy Soldier's head flew into the air.

With the second, another Holy Soldier's chest was cut open horizontally.

The third slash, the fourth slash, the fifth slash.

Blade light flashed amid the Holy Soldiers. It was so fast the blade itself could not be seen, only blurred streaks of light and shadow. Wang Tuchuan's Shunpo weaved through the crowd, every landing precisely stepping into a gap between Holy Soldiers, every swing taking a life.

The Tenth Division members followed close behind, drawing their swords, forming ranks, and beginning to clear the remaining Holy Soldiers.

Wang Tuchuan did not stop.

He carved a bloody path through the Holy Soldiers, killing his way from the eastern end of the South First District to the western end, then from the western end back again.

Owl's charging ability made him like lightning on the battlefield. The Holy Soldiers' Reishi arrows could not catch his speed, and even vice-captain-level Quincy were cut down before they could react.

Then he stopped.

Not because he was tired, but because he sensed two Reiatsu signatures, two completely different from the other Holy Soldiers. Heavier, more solid, more oppressive.

Wang Tuchuan raised his head and looked toward the source of the Reiatsu.

Two men.

The first was huge and rough-featured, dressed in a gray-white Quincy uniform with a star-cross badge on his chest.

His Reiatsu carried the restless agitation of a beast, like a wolf ready to pounce at any moment.

The second was slender, with a sinister face and hair clipped short like a soldier's. His Reiatsu was not as flamboyant as the first man's, but it was more dangerous, like gunpowder dust hanging in the air, ready to explode at the slightest spark.

One stood to the left, the other to the right.

"Tenth Division captain, Wang Tuchuan Yuxuji." The first spoke, his voice low and faintly amused. "I am Erwin Brenner, Schrift Evil Wolf."

"Dietrich Schmidt."

The second gave a slight nod. "Dust Explosion."

Wang Tuchuan tightened his grip on his sword hilt and said nothing.

"You're fast."

Erwin said, "I saw it. But speed means nothing before absolute suppression."

Dietrich did not respond. He merely raised his right hand and lightly flicked a finger through the air.

Wang Tuchuan's pupils contracted sharply.

Something filled the air—fine dust, nearly invisible. The instant Dietrich flicked his finger, it ignited. Reishi dust exploded before Wang Tuchuan, and the shockwave hurled him away. He crashed through a wall behind him and tumbled into the rubble.

Wang Tuchuan climbed out from beneath the shattered stone, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. A hole had been blasted in his clothes, and his chest was charred black.

Speed was useless.

Dietrich's ability created high-density Reishi dust, which could be detonated through friction or Reiatsu. The denser the dust, the more powerful the explosion. He had spread the dust through the air while walking over, and Wang Tuchuan had not noticed at all.

"It's not over yet!" Erwin's voice came from behind him.

Wang Tuchuan spun around sharply.

A Reishi werewolf had already lunged in front of him.

The werewolf was twice Wang Tuchuan's size, its claws and fangs gleaming white.

Wang Tuchuan dodged sideways. The werewolf's claws grazed his shoulder, tearing a gash through his haori and leaving three deep, bloody marks on his shoulder.

Erwin stood some distance away with his arms folded, a smile at the corner of his mouth.

He shared vision with that werewolf. No matter where Wang Tuchuan ran, the werewolf would catch up immediately.

One used dust explosions to seal off space, while the other pursued in coordination with a werewolf.

Under the pincer attack of two Schrift users, the pressure on Wang Tuchuan suddenly surged.

He drew a deep breath and wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth.

"You two are strong."

Wang Tuchuan said, "But you made one mistake."

Dietrich raised a brow. "What mistake?"

"You gave me time to use Bankai."

Wang Tuchuan gripped his sword with both hands, his left hand over his right, as Reiatsu surged wildly within him.

The surrounding air began to darken. Light seemed to be devoured by something, rapidly receding from the center of the battlefield.

Darkness spread from beneath his feet, like ink dropped into water, expanding in all directions.

Erwin's werewolf stopped and gave an uneasy low growl.

Dietrich frowned.

"Bankai."

Wang Tuchuan's voice echoed through the darkness.

"Mournful Nightwing, Soundless."

Darkness completely swallowed the South First District.

South First District

Ninth Division Headquarters

By the time Entetsu Kumenoi rushed from the barracks, the Holy Soldiers had already occupied half the street.

A pillar of blue flame rose at the entrance to the headquarters. Holy Soldiers streamed endlessly from the shadows, and a rain of Reishi arrows blanketed the entire district.

The Ninth Division members were pinned behind the barracks walls, unable to raise their heads. They could only retaliate with Kidō and limited sword strikes.

Entetsu Kumenoi did not take cover.

He walked straight into the rain of arrows.

The Reishi arrows struck his body and were bounced away by his Reiatsu with clanging sounds, like raindrops hitting sheet metal.

He did not draw his sword. He simply walked forward, step by step, neither hurried nor slow.

The Holy Soldiers began to panic.

If a Soul Reaper did not dodge a rain of arrows, then he was either insane or strong enough not to need to dodge.

Entetsu Kumenoi stopped five steps from the front of the Holy Soldier formation.

He drew his sword. The instant it left its sheath, the Zanpakutō transformed into a blue mace-like weapon, its surface covered in dark golden scale-like markings.

A mace was a blunt weapon without an edge, relying on weight and force to crush enemies.

"Principle of Perfect Equilibrium! Judgment of Balance!"

Shikai.

The blue mace glowed faintly in Entetsu Kumenoi's hand, and the dark golden scale markings began to flow as though alive.

He raised the mace and smashed it forward.

The first Holy Soldier was struck in the chest.

There was no blood.

No wound.

It was as though an invisible giant hand had crushed the Holy Soldier from within. Its body remained intact, but its organs, bones, and muscles had all been pulverized into pulp.

He remained standing, his eyes still open, but he was already dead.

His body slowly collapsed, like a sack of boneless flesh.

Entetsu Kumenoi's Zanpakutō ability ignored external defenses, striking through the mountain to hit the ox behind it.

No matter how thick the enemy's Reishi armor was, no matter how strong their Reiatsu shield was, the force of the mace strike would penetrate the outer layer and act directly on the inside.

The clothes remained intact, but everything inside had already shattered.

Entetsu Kumenoi began his slaughter.

One blow, one kill. One blow, one kill. His movements were not fast, but every strike was fatal.

The Holy Soldiers' Reishi bows could not block it, their Reishi shields could not block it, and they could not even dodge it. Entetsu Kumenoi's mace techniques were plain and unadorned, without flashy moves. He simply smashed, yet every smash landed.

The Ninth Division members charged out from behind the walls and began their counterattack behind their captain.

Entetsu Kumenoi alone tore several gaps into the Holy Soldier formation. The members poured through the openings, blade light flashing as Holy Soldiers fell in swathes.

Then the cold arrived.

It was not the oppressive sensation of Reiatsu, but genuine cold.

The temperature in the air plummeted. Entetsu Kumenoi's breath turned to white mist, and a thin layer of frost formed over the stone road beneath his feet.

Frida Bergmann.

Her silver-white hair drifted in the cold wind, her face stern, her blue eyes like two pieces of ice.

Wherever she walked, the stone road cracked. Ice crystals seeped from the fissures, and the Reishi in the air froze, making faint cracking sounds.

Schrift Frost.

Behind her, another figure emerged from the shadows.

Gerda Schwarz was short and ordinary-looking, appearing to be an inconspicuous attendant.

But with every step he took, another translucent giant Reishi shield appeared in the air, surrounding him and Frida like layer upon layer of eggshell.

Schrift Guard.

"Ninth Division captain."

Frida spoke, her voice like cracking ice. "Your Shikai has killed quite a few people, but it ends here."

She raised her hand.

Bitter frost spread from beneath her feet, radiating outward with her at the center.

Wherever the frost passed, everything froze—stone, air, Reishi, all of it.

The Ninth Division members had no time to retreat. Several had their feet frozen to the ground, screaming as they struggled to break free, but the frost quickly crawled up their calves, knees, and thighs.

Frida's frost could freeze the flow of Reishi. Those sealed in ice would have their Reiatsu suppressed, their bodies would lose feeling, and eventually they would freeze to death.

Entetsu Kumenoi lowered his head and glanced at the frost spreading toward his feet.

He did not retreat.

He raised his mace and smashed it into the ground.

The force of the blow penetrated the earth, ignoring the frost's defenses and acting directly on the soil beneath Frida's feet. The ground shook, Frida's footing faltered, and the spread of frost stalled for an instant.

But only for an instant.

Gerda's giant shield stood in front of Frida.

It did not block the mace strike. The strike ignored external defenses, and shields could not stop it.

But Gerda's giant shield could absorb physical and Reishi attacks, then convert them into spiritual power to replenish itself.

Part of the force of Entetsu Kumenoi's mace strike was absorbed by the giant shield. Less than half reached beneath Frida's feet, not enough to cause her any real harm.

Frida steadied herself, and the frost continued to spread.

Gerda's giant shields stacked layer upon layer, tightly enclosing the two of them.

Entetsu Kumenoi looked at the frost and giant shields before him and fell silent for a moment.

"You two."

He said calmly.

"Are indeed quite good."

Then his arms fell to his sides, and his Reiatsu surged.

Frida's expression changed. She could feel Entetsu Kumenoi's Reiatsu rising at an astonishing speed, surging upward layer by layer like the tide, without end.

Gerda's giant shields began to tremble.

The frost stopped spreading.

"Bankai."

Entetsu Kumenoi's voice was not loud, but every word was like a hammer striking Frida and Gerda in the chest.

"Scales Upholding Good and Evil."

The single blue mace split into twin maces.

The left mace was pure white, the right mace pitch black.

Entetsu Kumenoi held one mace in each hand, standing between the frost and the giant shields as Reiatsu pressed down on the two of them with tangible weight.

Frida gritted her teeth and drove her frost to its limit. The bitter frost surged toward Entetsu Kumenoi like a tide, attempting to freeze the flow of his Reishi.

The white mace fell.

The frost was neutralized.

It did not melt, nor was it dispersed. It was "neutralized." The white mace's ability neutralized the power of external attacks. No matter how cold Frida's frost was, before the white mace, its temperature was dragged back to zero, its Reishi structure collapsed, and its aggression was completely erased.

Frida's pupils shrank sharply.

Gerda activated his giant shields. Layer upon layer of Reishi barriers stood before them, trying to buy Frida time.

The black mace fell

The Great Shield Was Neutralized

It was not shattered, nor pierced through. It was "neutralized." The Black Mace's ability was to neutralize a target's defenses.

No matter how thick Gerda's Great Shield was, before the Black Mace, its Reishi structure was dismantled and its defensive power reduced to zero. It became a thin sheet of paper that could be punctured with a single poke.

Entetsu Kumenoi held a mace in each hand and walked toward the two women.

Frida took a step back.

Her frost was useless against the White Mace, and Gerda's Great Shield was useless against the Black Mace. Two Schrifts, before Entetsu Kumenoi's Bankai, were like two rusted locks facing a master key.

Entetsu Kumenoi raised both maces.

"What else have you got?"

Frida and Gerda exchanged a glance and saw the same word in each other's eyes.

Run.

West Second District

Eighth Division Garrison

Bakuzan Katori stood atop the barracks roof, her naginata held across her body as her gaze swept over the streets below.

Two pillars of blue flame rose within her field of vision.

One stood at the edge of the West Second District, in the direction of Rukongai. The other was closer, less than a hundred meters from the garrison gate. Holy Soldiers poured from the shadows and surged toward the Eighth Division barracks like a swarm of white ants.

Bakuzan did not move.

She was waiting, waiting for someone worthy of drawing her blade.

The Holy Soldiers were not worthy.

Then she saw her.

A woman emerged from the pillar of flame, dressed in the white uniform of the Quincy. Her long red hair looked like burning fire in the glow.

She moved quickly, her target clear as she headed straight for the Eighth Division barracks. Her Reiatsu was blazing and flamboyant, like a moving mass of flame.

Ilsa Florian.

Schrift: Inferno.

Bakuzan leaped down from the rooftop and landed ten paces before Ilsa, the tip of her naginata pointed at the ground.

"Captain of the Eighth Division, Bakuzan Katori." Her voice was not loud, but it cut through the noisy battlefield like a blade.

Ilsa stopped and looked Bakuzan up and down. The corner of her lips lifted slightly. "Quincy, Ilsa Florian. I'll take your head."

She raised a hand, gathering Reishi in her palm into a Holy Arrow burning with flames.

Bakuzan no longer needed to wait.

"Sweep across the eight wastelands, Storm King!"

Air currents began to churn around the naginata's shaft. It was not wind, but Reishi compressed, accelerated, and given direction to form invisible blades of air. The range of the unseen slash extended from the naginata's tip, several times farther than the blade itself.

Bakuzan swung her weapon.

Ilsa twisted aside, thinking she was dodging the blade.

The blade did not touch her.

Yet her left arm flew into the air.

It had not been severed by the blade, but by the air. Bakuzan's naginata had never touched her body; the slash had taken effect two meters in front of the blade.

Ilsa's pupils abruptly contracted. Blood sprayed from her severed arm as she looked down at her empty left shoulder. The smile vanished from her face.

"An invisible slashing range..." She gritted her teeth, gathering flames in her right hand as she tried to counterattack.

Bakuzan's second strike had already arrived.

This time, it was a horizontal slash.

Ilsa bent backward, thinking she had evaded it.

But both her legs were cleanly severed below the knees.

Her body lost its support, and she fell to the ground. The flames in her palm went out, and her Reishi bow scattered into motes of light. Lying in a pool of blood, she stared wide-eyed at Bakuzan Katori. Her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

Bakuzan lowered her weapon and looked down at her without a word.

Ilsa Florian died.

Two strikes in the first exchange.

Bakuzan turned, just about to clear out the Holy Soldiers in the other areas, when she stopped.

More Reiatsu appeared.

It was a complete squad formation. Every trace of Reiatsu was well-trained, and their coordination was seamless.

Jost Weiss approached, followed by eight Quincy.

He did not wear the standard Holy Soldier uniform, but a dark combat outfit. A short matchlock gun hung at his waist.

His Reiatsu was not powerful, but his gaze was cold, with the calm of a sniper sighting prey.

"Jost Weiss."

He introduced himself in an even tone. "Schrift—Jaeger."

The eight behind him said nothing. They merely formed up in silence, their positions precise, each pair maintaining a fixed distance as though measured with a ruler.

Dagger Squad.

Bakuzan looked at them and fell silent for a moment.

"Nine people," she said.

"Nine."

Jost nodded. "Enough to deal with one of you."

Bakuzan did not argue.

The blade of her naginata drooped as Reiatsu surged around her. The clouds overhead turned an eerie lead-gray, blocking out the sunlight and plunging the West Second District into oppressive gloom.

Jost frowned. He felt the air currents stop flowing, while the spread of Reishi slowed drastically. His matchlock required Reishi as propulsive force, but the Reishi was becoming sluggish, heavy, and difficult to control.

"Bankai."

Bakuzan Katori's voice echoed through the motionless air.

"Stillness."

The air currents came to a complete stop.

The sky over the West Second District was covered in lead-gray clouds. There was no wind, and the entire world seemed sealed inside a massive block of amber.

Jost raised his matchlock and pulled the trigger.

The Reishi bullet shot from the muzzle, but after traveling less than five meters, it lost its speed. Like a frozen pebble, it fell from the air, hit the ground, rolled twice, and stopped.

The eight Quincy behind him tried to move with Hirenkyaku, but once the air currents stopped, the air became resistance rather than assistance. Their speed was reduced to less than a third of normal.

Bakuzan Katori swung her naginata.

A hurricane surged from the naginata's shaft. It was not wind, but air blades compressed to the extreme, several meters wide as they advanced like a wall.

Jost's pupils abruptly contracted.

He wanted to dodge, but within the domain of Stillness, the air currents were beyond his control. The air was his enemy, not his friend. His body was bound by the motionless air, and he moved slowly, as though running underwater.

The air blades rolled over the Dagger Squad.

There was no blood.

There were no screams.

The eight bodies were torn apart by the extremely compressed air. Their Reishi armaments, flesh, and bones were all shredded and churned together, spreading through the air like a cloud of red mist.

Jost knelt on the ground, his matchlock fallen beside his feet. Several tears had been ripped through his combat uniform, and blood seeped from the wounds.

He raised his head and looked at Bakuzan Katori.

Bakuzan stood before him, the tip of her naginata pressed against his throat.

Jost said nothing.

He looked into Bakuzan's eyes. There was no killing intent, no anger, not even the slightest emotion in them.

It was as natural as a farmer cutting grass in a field.